Judiciary News Agency: No New Charges Have Been Filed Against Nazanin Zaghari

Mizan News Agency, the official news agency of the judiciary, denied that new charges have been filed against Nazanin Zaghari, an Iranian-British citizen, while announcing that she has been summoned to court but has not been formally charged due to the absence of a lawyer. The agency reported on Monday, May 20, that Zaghari was summoned to Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on Sunday. According to the report, Zaghari stated in court that she needs a lawyer, and for this reason, she has not been formally charged, and a new date for the court session has been set. The report mentioned that a prosecutor's representative was also present at this session. Zaghari has previously received a prison sentence, and thus the new court session could indicate the emergence of fresh charges against her. Additionally, the presence of a prosecutor's representative in court sessions typically signifies the introduction of new charges against a prisoner. The Mizan report is a reaction to statements made by Zaghari's husband, who indicated that she is facing new charges. Richard Ratcliffe, in a statement released on Monday, announced that the court session was presided over by Judge Abolqasem Salavati, and that his wife has been charged with 'propaganda against the regime.' Ratcliffe stated that the judge informed his wife that she should expect another ruling against her. However, Mizan's report stated that the 'news-making' regarding the judge's comments about the expectation that Zaghari would also be convicted in the new case is unfounded and lacks credibility. While Zaghari's husband reported that she was informed of her charges on Saturday, the judiciary's news agency indicated that Zaghari's court appearance was on Sunday. Zaghari, who worked for the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested in April 2016 while trying to leave Iran and was sentenced to five years in prison for charges including 'participation in activities related to soft overthrow.' At that time, Zaghari was in Iran to visit her family with her young daughter Gabriella, who is now three years old and has been living with Zaghari's parents in Tehran since her mother's arrest. Reports indicate that Zaghari is requesting leave at least next month to attend her daughter's fourth birthday celebration. Last week, ahead of a meeting between Mohammad Javad Zarif and his British counterpart Boris Johnson in Brussels, the campaign for Zaghari's freedom announced that her legal case has been reopened. Ratcliffe also reported that on Sunday, the British ambassador in Tehran managed to meet with Nazanin Zaghari, marking the first diplomatic access to her since her arrest. Over the two years since Zaghari's arrest and conviction in Iran, the UK has repeatedly called for her release, and Boris Johnson, the UK Foreign Secretary, requested her release on humanitarian grounds during his visit to Tehran a few months ago. Additionally, it has been reported for months that the UK is seeking to facilitate her release by repaying nearly £400 million related to a pre-revolutionary arms contract with Iran. Iran similarly released several Iranian-American prisoners in winter 2016, coinciding with the receipt of an old debt from the US, although these simultaneous events fueled speculation about the release of these prisoners in exchange for a ransom payment to Iran. Donald Trump, the US President, is among those who criticize the previous US administration for this reason.